Formatting Journal Entries

Overview

Lesson 20 of 30 in Exploring Speculative Perspectives. Students examine the conventions of a polished speculative journal entry, apply formatting and editing expectations, and prepare a submission checklist for their own final entry.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• Identify the structural and formatting features of an effective journal entry.
• Explain how presentation, paragraphing and language choices support a believable perspective.
• Edit their own writing for clarity, cohesion, accuracy and audience.
• Apply final-submission expectations to a speculative journal entry.

Success criteria

• I can format a journal entry with a clear date, heading or opening, paragraphs and consistent layout.
• I can use first-person voice, appropriate tense and details that reveal perspective.
• I can proofread spelling, punctuation, sentence structure and paragraphing.
• I can use a checklist to prepare my entry for submission.

Curriculum links

• Creating written and multimodal texts for specific purposes, audiences and contexts.
• Using text structures and language features to develop ideas and represent perspectives.
• Understanding how viewpoint, voice and literary devices shape meaning.
• Editing and refining writing for cohesion, accuracy and deliberate effect.

Lesson structure (70 minutes)

1. 0–8 minutes – Hook: What makes it feel real? Open with the opening comparison slide. Display two short journal extracts: one poorly formatted and one polished. Students silently note which seems more believable and why, then share observations. Record responses under layout, voice, detail and accuracy.

2. 8–20 minutes – Teach the conventions Use the journal-format teaching slides to explicitly model a suitable format: date or time marker, optional location, first-person voice, consistent tense, paragraphs, meaningful details, reflective ending and accurate punctuation. Clarify that formatting should support the character’s perspective, not make the writing look artificial. Show how a paragraph break can signal a change in time, emotion or focus.

3. 20–32 minutes – Feature sort and discussion In pairs, students use the journal-entry conventions worksheet to classify features as essential, useful or not suitable for this submission. They justify two decisions to the class. Prompt discussion: How might a journal from a space station, a flooded city or a future school look different while still being readable?

4. 32–47 minutes – Modelled editing Return to the editing model slides. Work through a deliberately unfinished speculative journal extract. Think aloud while correcting paragraphing, punctuation, tense consistency and vague wording. Ask students to suggest one change that strengthens the narrator’s perspective and one that improves readability.

5. 47–62 minutes – Individual submission preparation Students use the journal-entry conventions worksheet as a checklist while reviewing their own draft. They check the opening information, paragraph structure, voice, tense, sensory or world-building details, spelling and punctuation. Students make at least three purposeful edits and then complete a two-minute partner check, explaining one improvement they made. For students without a draft, provide the model extract or allow them to begin a short opening paragraph.

6. 62–70 minutes – Plenary and next steps Display the final-check and exit prompt slides. Each student writes one formatting decision they will make before submitting and one writing feature they still need to improve. Invite several students to share. Remind the class that the next lesson will focus on finalising and submitting the complete journal entry.

Resources

• the journal-format and editing slide deck
• the journal-entry conventions worksheet
• Students’ speculative journal drafts
• Exercise books or laptops
• Projector or interactive display
• Highlighters or coloured pens
• Teacher-prepared model journal extract
• Submission instructions or learning-management-system details

Assessment

• Observe pair discussions and feature classifications for understanding of journal conventions, audience and perspective.
• Confer with students during editing; check that each student identifies and makes at least three purposeful improvements.
• Collect the completed checklist or photograph it as evidence of preparation for final submission.

Differentiation

• Provide a visual checklist, model extract and colour-coded examples for students who need structure; allow use of speech-to-text or a word processor.
• Read the model extract aloud and clarify terms such as tense, cohesion, voice and formatting for EAL learners.
• Offer sentence frames such as “My narrator reveals their perspective by…” and “I changed ___ because…”.
• Extend confident writers by asking them to vary paragraph length deliberately, use a reflective ending and explain how one formatting choice creates a particular effect.